Officials of the Abia State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have battered a journalist, Chidi Asonye for speaking out against an act of brutality being unleashed on three tricycle riders in Umuahia.
Asonye who is the Abia State Correspondent of the Nigeria Newspoint newspapers, an Owerri based tabloid, was on his way to an assignment when he saw three tricycle riders being beaten by the NSCDC men at Azikiwe road.
As sympathizers watched the tricycle riders crying and appealing for mercy, Asonye summoned courage and told the NSCDC turned assailants that if the tricycle riders committed any offence, they should be taken to their command headquarters at Azikiwe road instead of being humiliated.
As the journalist appealed to them, two of the five NSCDC men pounced on him, beat up him and seized his mobile phones, asking who gave him the right to intervene in the matter. According to a journalist who was with Asonye at the scene, “When Asonye introduced himself as a journalist, the NSCDC men all told him to go to hell with his useless profession. When we asked them why they should beat up Asonye and seized his phones, one of the NSCDC men told us that he is not supposed to come around them with a camera phone. Again, we asked him why he was afraid of a camera phone if he and his colleagues were doing the right thing.”
As they dragged Asonye with his blood soaked cloth into their van, the other journalists raced to the Command Headquarters which is a stone throw from the scene and reported the matter to one Mr. Chimezie Ikpeaba who is said to be the Head of the Anti Vandals Squad of the Command.
After listening to their complaints, Ikpeaba who vowed to come and testify against the journalists when the case is reported anywhere, reluctantly released the seized phones and handed same to the journalists but the latter received a more grievous assault when one of the overzealous operatives with the name tag, Adeh J.K held the blood soaked Asonye, beat him with the butt of his gun while official kicked him at the stomach, pushed and slapped him twice even his senior officials and passersby watched.
As the journalist were about to leave the scene, the Command’s Public Relations Officer who refused to disclose his name, pleaded with them to forgive his colleagues and not report the incident, stressing that they were waiting for the arrival of their Zonal Commander who will not be happy with such a negative report.
As at press time, Asonye who sustained severe injuries in his upper and lower limbs and hands has been treated in an undisclosed hospital.
